This invention generally relates to small cases and more particularly to commuter cases for carrying shoes, athletic clothing, bag lunches, newspapers, umbrellas, and assorted personal items.
Women have joined the work force in increasing numbers, and they often commute to work wearing jogging, tennis or walking shoes while carrying their dress or work shoes. A variety of containers such as paper and plastic bags, handbags, and briefcases have been used for carrying their dress or work shoes. However, plastic and paper bags are subject to tearing, and they often do not sufficiently protect, items such as shoes, to prevent them from being scratched, crushed or broken. Handbags and briefcases have been found to be unsatisfactory for carrying shoes, for example, because of space limitations, and shoes often soil the contents of the handbag or the briefcase.
Commuters, both male and female, also often carry a variety of incidental items such as athletic clothing, bag lunches, newspapers, umbrellas, thermos bottles, and the like. An attempt to carry one or more of these items in the user's hands will often result in dropping or losing one or more of these items or worse, injury to the carrier or fellow commuters. Attempts to stuff these items in briefcase or attache cases will often results in wet and dirty contents due to, for example, a leaking thermos, a wet umbrella, a soggy lunch bag, etc. It is also noted that many of these items do not easily fit in many briefcases or attache cases. The present invention overcomes one or more problems commuters have in carrying various items to and from work or social activities by providing a commuter case designed to accommodate a variety of personal items.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a flexible carrier which can be attached to another piece of luggage or carried separately by the user for the orderly transportation of shoes, athletic clothing, bag lunches, newspapers, umbrellas, thermos bottles, and other assorted personal items.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible carrier for a person's dress or work shoes which reduces the likelihood of scuffing and other damage to the shoes.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a case for items carried by commuters which is economical to manufacture and which can be rolled up and stored in a compact manner when not in use.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a commuter case which is of relatively compact, efficient design and which can be deployed and used with relative ease.